Everything Changes
by Andrea Hardy
Summary: Lita returns to the WWE after her injury. Hangovers suck and... Shane?
1. Falls Apart

**Chapter 1 – Falls Apart **

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people. I just write about them. Don't sue, because the only thing you're likely to get is my old Hanson t-shirt. 

**A/N:** I got the chapter styling from TraceAce. I'm sorry, her chapters just looks so pretty when I read them. 

**Dedications:** Dedicated to Kasy. And twstofate. If there ever is a Lita/Shane McMahon pairing in this story, I got the idea from her. Also, to BizGirlCharlie, whose writing was the main influence for mine, and who also had the idea to use dates, so I'm kept less confused. 

~~ 

_Falls Apart_, Sugar Ray

_ She falls apart by herself   
No one's there to talk or understand  
Feels sustained, dries her eyes  
Finds herself, opens the door inside  
People see right through you  
Everyone who knew you well  
Falls apart, might as well  
Day is long and nothing is wasteful _

Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
Hold, hold you but you're going away  
Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
(Want) Hold (Want) you tomorrow but you're leaving today 

You walk along by yourself  
There's no sound, nothing is changing  
Been gone away, left you there  
Emptiness is nothing you can't share  
All those words that hurt you  
More than you would let it show  
Comes apart, by yourself   
All is well and everything is wasted 

Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
(Want) Hold (Want) hold you but you're going away  
Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
(Want) Hold (Want) you tomorrow but you're leaving today 

Sometimes we'll feel around and this dance instead can't be down  
All the sound of me on my own  
Any sound of me again it's time away surround around a friend  
I know where I know where no where to runaway 

She falls apart, no one there  
Hold her hand, it seems to disappear  
Falls apart, might as well  
Day is long and nothing is wasted 

Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
(Want) Hold (Want) hold you but you're going away  
Runaway, runaway (runaway, runaway)  
(Want) Hold (Want) you tomorrow but your leaving today  
Runaway, runaway  
Hold (Want) hold you (Want) but you're going away  
But your leaving today, but you're leaving today 

~~ 

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2003 

Lita was marginally happy, for the first time in months. Next month, it'd be a year since she had wrestled for the WWE. She remembered a time last year that she had remarked that she'd come back more bad-ass than ever. Each and every day since she was able, she had been training to make sure that held true. Her fingers were itching for competition. 

Hell, she didn't even know on what show she'd be placed. She had left as _RAW_ talent, but a lot of things had happened in the past year. Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon had been appointed as general managers of _RAW_ and _Smackdown_, respectively. More importantly, Team Extreme was gone. Buried. Matt had left _RAW_ for _Smackdown_, and Jeff had stayed on with _RAW_. Lita felt lost. She was in her element in Team Extreme. She was home with Matt and Jeff. But now, that had all gone to hell. 

So, what should she expect when she got back to work? Would she become just another jobber, something for the _Tough Enough_ kids to piss off and play around with? Would she go to _Smackdown_ to attempt a reconciliation with Matt? Would she stay at _RAW_ with Jeff? She tried to think about the situation logically. Trish and Jeff had seemed to grow a lot closer, both in and out of the ring. Matt had gone wildly after every title he could, running over everyone that had gotten in his way, and picked up a new cheerleader in the process. Would she go to him, kick Nidia's ass, start dating him again, and be hated by the masses because she supported his new bitch attitude? 

And now here she was, in some faceless Seattle hotel room, waiting for a meeting with Vince McMahon himself. Tonight was the night that her fate would be decided. Meeting first, _RAW_ later, is what he had said. Lita wrung her hands together. Had he sounded grave when he had suggested it? Could this mean the end of her career in the WWE? Lita stood, pounded her fists into the wall. No. She was a WWE diva, damn it. No way Vince would fire her. She was extreme, she was a veritable powerhouse of strength, energy, and passion. There was no way possible she would be released. 

But still, she worried. 

It was two in the afternoon, and she was still in her pajamas. What the hell was she sitting around for? She needed to get out. She needed to see old friends. Tonight was _RAW_. That meant everyone she was ever close with would be around. Everyone from Jeff and Trish to Christian and Test. The only person missing was Matt. 

It still stung that he had left her. She was at home, head over heels in love with a person she got to see on television every week, and less often than that in person. When Matt had left for _Smackdown_ and started terrorizing everyone in his path, he had turned into a completely different person. She turned on her television and found him making out with that _Tough Enough_ slut. Lita had made it a personal goal to knock the living shit out of Nidia when she got back. Sure, she had kissed almost every male on the _Smackdown_ roster, but after her torrid make-out session with him, she had left her trailer-trash cruiserweight boyfriend to become Matt's own personal tag-a-long. 

So, the chances were, she wouldn't go to _Smackdown_; at least not for Matt. If she did, it'd be only to settle the score. And boy, would she settle it. Nidia was going down in the worst kind of way. 

What was she supposed to wear to a meeting of this magnitude? Lita barely recalled her first meeting with Vince - she had gone out and bought a suit that she had never worn again. But, that same meeting, she had signed her contract with the WWE. Should she go to that extent for this meeting? It was one that could make or break her career. She thought on it as she poured over the contents in her suitcases. She'd have to go buy a suit if she decided to wear one. And why should she have to? She was in the WWE because she had talent and a great personal style, not because she wore a suit to a meeting. She checked her palm pilot. A half an hour before she'd head out to the _RAW_ arena to meet with Vince. And fuck. It was Saint Patrick's Day. 

Upon recognizing the holiday, Lita counted out almost everything in her bags. If she got pinched once, she might very well go ballistic. She chose bottle green cargo pants and halter top she made herself. She looked at herself in the mirror, adjusted her thong and tossed her hair. There she was, looking and feeling more normal than she had at all in the past year. Now she wanted to do something she had missed since her injury. She wanted to go see her friends. 

Lita stepped out into the hallway, colliding with Lance, Test, and Christian. Their 'Un-American' group had long since disappeared, but the three still enjoyed each other's company. She smiled, happy to see a friendly face. 

Christian, by far, was the absolute happiest. She and Test weren't incredibly close, because of an old feud between her, T & A, Trish, and the Hardy Boyz, but at least he didn't hate her guts anymore. Christian, it seemed, had completely changed. There was a time when he didn't care for her either. But thankfully, at the moment, he didn't seem to remember any of it. He wrapped her in a huge hug, nearly squeezing the life out of her. 

"Easy, guy. I'm not off injury yet," Lita chided. She touched his arm, watched his slow smile. "It's good to see you again, Christian." 

He nodded. "Can't say I don't feel the same. We've missed you ever since you've been gone. Well, apart from some of the newer girls. Ever since they heard you were making your return, they've been shaking in their boots, just praying you won't go after them." 

"Got your eye on anyone yet?" Lance wanted to know. Test leaned against the wall, being unusually quiet. Perhaps he didn't know how to react; he didn't know what to say. 

Lita nodded at Lance, her face lighting up with fury. "I'm gonna get that bitch Nidia, that's for sure." Test looked at her stupidly. 

"But she's on _Smackdown_. You're _RAW_ talent. You'd have to get the Women's Championship to be able to go after her." Lita shook her head. 

"As of right now, I'm not on any roster. I'm going to go talk to Vince McMahon this evening about where I'm going to go. Ever since Matt and Jeff went their separate ways, I've been in limbo. They can't really put me with either of them right now, since Matt's with Nidia and Jeff and Trish are together. I guess it's time for me to go my own way, do my own thing. I couldn't be part of Team Extreme forever. Nothing lasts forever." Lita sniffed. But why couldn't it have lasted? The three of them were brilliant together. Now that they we're apart, Lita felt like a little piece of her was missing. After all, besides Essa and her brief stint in ECW, the Hardy Boyz and Team Extreme were all Lita had ever known. 

"What do you think Vince is gonna do?" Christian wanted to know. Lita shrugged. 

"I couldn't tell you. You can't predict anything about a man like that. Just when you think he'll do something, he'll jump up and do the complete opposite. I don't want to go to _Smackdown_. Matt and I are over. Moving me there will just make me more miserable than I already am. I don't want to think about him, I don't want to be around him. I just want to move on." 

He nodded, completely understanding what she was saying. It couldn't be easy watching the person you're in love with grope at his new girlfriend. He cleared his throat. "Well, we need to get going, but come and tell us what happens with Vince, okay? If you stay at _RAW_, we'll party, and if you don't…" Christian thought for a moment, eventually shrugging. "We'll still party." 

Lita snorted and watched them walk off. Christian was certainly one of a kind. And it was people like him that she had missed in her absence. She almost wondered what Jeff would say if he saw her there. He had come to see her at home and she had flown out various times to catch matches of his, but over the past month, even they had drawn apart. She really couldn't blame him. It must be hard to be caught in a situation like that. A best friend who also happened to be his older brother's ex. And that older brother wanted absolutely nothing to do with that ex. What could he do? Besides all of that, he was busy with wrestling… with Trish. Lita felt a tinge of jealousy. Oh, how easily she had been replaced. It wasn't fair. She really didn't have any bad blood with Trish, but it just irritated her how easily her spotlight had been stolen. Lita had gone on the injured list with a devoted, happy boyfriend and a best friend. Now she would be returning with an ex and his whore and a friend that was too busy with his girlfriend to spend time with her. 

Still, she found herself standing in front of Jeff's door, rapping her knuckles against the wood. She heard a scuffle and some voices before the door opened a crack. Jeff stared back at her. "Lita?" She nodded and he stepped out of the room to pull her into a hug. She glanced over his shoulder, saw Trish struggling to dress. Jeff himself was topless, his pants unbuttoned and hanging off of his hips. An idiot could figure out what she had interrupted. 

Lita winced. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jeff. I didn't realize that you were busy. I can leave, come back another time…" she trailed off, her cheeks turning bright red. Jeff just shook it off, clutching Trish's waist when she joined him, fully clothed, at the door. 

"No, no. It's fine. It could have been worse," he grinned. "So, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't going to be released from the doctor until next month." 

"Vince flew me out. He said we needed to talk about what happens when I return. As of right now, I'm in between rosters. He says they can do anything from putting me on _Smackdown_, letting me kick Nidia's ass; leave me on _RAW_ to do something with you; letting me roll by myself; and even letting go of me all together." 

"But they can't do that," Trish interrupted. "You're the most popular diva in the WWE. They can't just let you go." 

Lita looked at her sadly. "Correction. I _was_ the most popular diva in the WWE. And they can do whatever they want to. If they let me go, then they let me go. I've come to find out I don't have much of a say in anything anymore." Jeff touched her shoulder. 

"Lita, listen to me. I will _not_ let you get fired. If it means getting the team back together, you will not be fired. I'm sure Matt feels the same way." Lita rolled her eyes. Jeff was so naïve. Matt wanted nothing more than to forget her very existance. 

"Jeff, face it. Team Extreme is over. Dead and buried. Matt made that decision when he left _RAW_ and he reminded everyone of that when he decided he was going to forget I ever existed and go play with that whore. So now, just like the team, I'm dead to him. I don't matter to him. It was like I never did." 

"Maybe if you give him a little time-" Lita held up her hand. She didn't want to hear anymore. 

"He doesn't need time, Jeff. His decision has been made. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a meeting with Mr. McMahon." Lita started to walk off, but Jeff caught her arm and swung her back to face him. 

"Come out with us tonight," he asked. Lita shook her head. 

"No. I can't do that. I can't live in the past." She looked at Trish and back at Jeff. "Besides, you've got a new woman now, you can't keep bothering with me, you know." 

"It doesn't have to be like this," he murmured. 

Lita fought the tears back. She would not cry. Crying would do nothing more than prove that she was weak. And she refused to be that way. She couldn't allow herself to be vulnerable. "Yes," she whispered back. "Yes, it does. Take care of your girl, Jeff." 

He nodded, swallowing back the big lump in his throat. "I'll see you when I see you." 

She watched him push Trish back into the room with him, still fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks. Lita knew right then just how difficult it would be to remain friends with him. They had way too much history together to remain anything more than people who we're civil to each other when they crossed paths. She tied back her hair as she stepped outside of the motel, searching for her car in the parking lot. A dark SUV with tinted windows rolled right up in front of her, stopped there. Lita wondered if she should walk off or stand and wait to find out who was in the car. The window started to roll down. Molly Holly was sitting in the driver's seat, smiling at her. 

"Need a ride to the arena?" Because Molly was such a close friend to her, she hopped into the passenger's seat, graciously accepting. "I heard you'd be meeting us up here today," Molly said. "I was just wondering when I'd get to see you." Lita nodded. 

"I have a meeting with Vince tonight about my return," she informed her. 

"Hmm… peculiar." Lita raised an eyebrow. 

"What's peculiar?" 

"Vince has been talking about a surprise for weeks. I've got to wonder if you have anything to do with it." Molly snapped her gum, changed lanes as she spotted her turn. 

"Well, what's the surprise?" Molly looked at her innocently. 

"I have no idea." 

"Come on, Molly. Vince's surprise is a complete secret. So naturally, if things haven't changed, everyone probably knows it." Lita said with a giggle. Vince was, at his own admittance, completely and totally transparent. 

"Well, I can't say this for certain, but word has it that somebody is coming back to the WWE." Lita stared at her. 

"Somebody?" 

"Mmm-hmm. I can only tell you that this somebody never really left the WWE, but he just hasn't been around lately. I mean, you know, you can never really get rid of a McMahon." Molly realized what she had let slip. "Oops." 

"Shane's coming back? Why would I have anything to do with that?" This time when Molly shrugged, Lita could tell it was genuine. She climbed out of the car after Molly parked, fell in step with her on the way inside the back entrance to the arena. "Well, Shane returning is definitely some interesting news. I wonder where he'll go." Molly cleared her throat. She knew something else. 

"Well, word also has it, when and if he does return, they're going to do away with the roster split. So everyone will be hopping back and forth again. So the reason I think you might be a part of this Shane McMahon thing is that if he's returning so soon, why bother sticking you on a roster anyway?" Lita nodded. She made a good point. She held the door open for Molly who stepped into the building after her. 

"Interesting. I'll let you know what's happening after I talk to Vince, okay?" 

"Cool, but make it later, after the show. I've got a title match against Victoria tonight. I want to concentrate on nothing but getting my title back." Lita nodded and gave her a good luck hug. 

"You'll do wonderful, I know it." Molly nodded and trooped off to her dressing room. Now, to find Vince. 

Lita decided the best place to check would be Bischoff's dressing room, even though she hated the man with a fiery passion. She knocked on his door, opened it when she heard him tell her to come in. He held his arms open to her, but she blew off his embrace. 

He frowned, took his place at his desk. "What can I help you with, Lita?" 

"I'm looking for Vince." Eric nodded. 

"Of course you are." He flipped open his cell phone, dialed a number, and muttered a few words. He closed the phone and set it back on his desk. "He's on his way. But while we're here, I'm wondering how that neck is fairing." 

"It's doing well, thanks." Lita didn't want to talk to him. In fact, she blamed much of what happened with Matt on him, because he gave Jeff all the title shots while Matt was confined to _Heat_. If Eric had just noticed Matt's talent and stopped trying to appease all the little girls by giving Jeff matches, Matt never would have felt inclined to run off and join _Smackdown_. And if he had never been on _Smackdown_, then Nidia would have never of gotten the chance to sink her claws into him. 

"I'm sorry about your little boyfriend," he remarked. Lita glared, just about ready to smack the living hell out of him, but Vince walked in before she got the chance. He ushered Bischoff away, locked the door behind him, taking Eric's place behind the desk. 

"I'm sorry if I worried you about your contract with us, Lita, but you have to understand, what I'm about to tell you needed to be kept completely confidential until everything was taken care of," Vince started immediately. "You might have already heard, but we're looking for a way to put Shane back into the WWE. Now, you probably are wondering how this involves you, but I'll get to that. Firstly, when Shane comes back, we're going to be doing away with the roster split and finally, thank God, with Bischoff. So, you can understand why we don't want to assign you to either show. Your return will be after the decision about the roster is made public. That way, you will get to go after Nidia, as I know you want to do. We've decided the date of your return will be May the first, on a _Smackdown_ episode. We've planned Shane's return for the same day. Would you like to know why?" 

Lita nodded weakly, sure she already knew the reason. 

"You and Shane will be presented together on _Smackdown_, as a couple. We think it's necessary, to clarify the end of Team Extreme. That way, when you feud, Shane will be able to get in a few matches against Matt or whomever." He pulled out a stack of papers from his briefcase. A contract, she saw. 

"But Shane isn't a wrestler, Mr. McMahon." He looked at her, settled his hands on the desk. 

"On the contrary, the reason why Shane has been gone for the past year or so is because he's been in training. He wanted to wrestle, so I gave him the opportunity." 

Shane McMahon taking bumps and dropkicking people? The sight that Lita pictured in her head made her want to laugh. It was too completely unbelievable. 

"Now, when we make the news about the roster splits, everyone will be signing new contracts with us. I already had yours drawn up, so that you can go ahead and sign and get it over with." He pushed the papers in front of her, nudged a pen in her hand. She wouldn't sign this contract. She _hated_ Shane McMahon. Even more, if it was possible, than Nidia. 

"I don't want to be with Shane." Lita told him. Vince set his jaw. 

"I am afraid the decision has already been made. Go ahead and sign, please," he urged. She looked at him with a trace of hatred in her eyes. 

"And if I don't?" Vince leaned back, took her in. 

"Then I'm afraid you don't have a place in the WWE." Lita looked at him and back down at the contract. "So, what are you going to do, Lita? Sign or not?" 

~~

**A/N:** Yes, I realize things may be inaccurate or whatever, but don't yell. I've only been a fan of wrestling for a year or so. I don't know what all has happened in the past. So there. 

**Next Chapter:** Will she sign or will she not? 


	2. Good Times Gone

**Chapter 2 - Good Times Gone **

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people. I just write about them. Don't sue, because the only thing you're likely to get is my collection of unused, unwrapped 'N Sync CDs that stupid people gave me for my birthday. 

**A/N:** I heart BizGirlCharlie. I just thought you all should know. And thanks to Mai for pointing out that Shane has, in fact, wrestled before. I'll try to fix it as best I can. 

~~ 

_Good Times Gone_, Nickelback 

_ Lost it on the chesterfield   
Or maybe on a gambling wheel   
Lost it in a diamond mine   
It's dark as hell and hard to find   
You can climb to the top of the highest tree   
You can look around, but you still won't see   
What I'm looking for _

Where the good times gone?   
Where the good times gone?   
All the stupid fun   
And all that shit we've done   
Where the good times gone?   
Well, I still don't know 

Out in the back in the old corn field   
Underneath the tractor wheel   
Thought I'd dig, 'til I'd found it first   
Broke my back and died of thirst   
You can bribe the devil, you can pray to God   
You can sell off everything you got   
And you still won't know 

Where the good times gone?   
Where the good times gone?   
All the stupid fun   
And all that shit we've done   
Where the good times gone?   
And you still don't know 

Saw it on the silver screen   
Preacher says, "don't know what it means"   
Last page ad in a comic book   
Bought me a map, showed me where to look   
It ain't carved of stone or made of wood   
And if you paid for it, then it's still no good   
And you still won't know   
What I'm looking for 

Where the good times gone?   
Where the good times gone?   
All the stupid fun   
And all that shit we've done   
Where the good times gone? 

~~ 

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2003 

"Come on, Lita. Sign or not?" Vince repeated. "This shouldn't be such a difficult decision for you." Lita looked up at him angrily. 

"I thought you hated Shane. Why the hell do you want him back in the WWE anyway? I mean, when he left, you were seething. You were ready to kill him. But now, suddenly, you want him back? Aren't you afraid he's going to try and screw you over again?" Vince shook his head. 

"I know Shane better than anyone else, Lita. I know he's known to be manipulative and underhanded, but you have to admit, he did learn from the best. And despite everything that happened two years ago, he is still my son. Linda thinks it'd be good for him to get back in the business again, and he's worked so hard-" 

"I don't give a shit how hard he's worked." Lita stood, knocking over the chair. "Why put him with me, huh? Shane and I are two completely different people. Do you actually think people are going to believe that I would date him?" Vince nodded. 

"I think it's a very plausible idea. You've been out for a year. Shane's been out. You two felt lonely so you met up a few times, enjoyed each other's company, and then the sparks start to fly. So, yes. I do think it's going to work." He slapped his hands down on the table. "I can't give you what you want." 

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing. Just what was Vince getting at? "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean. We haven't even talked about what I want yet." Vince twirled the pen in his fingers. 

"Look, I can't get Team Extreme back together. It's over. It's done with. More importantly, I can't get you Matt back." Lita crossed her arms over her chest, gathering her defenses. 

"I never said I wanted Matt back," she whispered, her face giving her away. Vince smiled sadly. 

"Look, I know how hard it must have been for you to turn on the television to see Matt and Nidia sticking their tongues down each other's throats, but I also know how important it is for you to get on with it." He leaned back in his chair. "And besides, Matt Hardy has always been known to be a jealous person. How do you think he's going to react if you walk out hand in hand with Shane? What do you think he's going to say?" 

Lita nodded. As much as she hated to admit it, Vince was right. Matt had always had a horrible jealous streak in him, whether it came to her or to Jeff. Hell, jealousy was the reason why he left _RAW_ in the first place, wasn't it? He was jealous that Jeff was getting a bigger push than he was. It was things like his jealousy that had her wondering why she had wanted to be with him in the first place. She didn't want to be treated like an object. She wasn't some possession for him to cart around and show off. Oh, yes. This angle with Shane McMahon might be exactly what she needed. But still, she glared over the desk at Vince. She didn't like being told she had to do anything, especially from pricks like him. She leaned over the desk and snatched the pen from his hand. 

"Before I sign this, I just want you to know how much of a dick I think you are." Vince raised an eyebrow and just smiled. 

"That's fair. Now sign so we both can get on with our day, please." Lita scrawled her signature sloppily on the line and then turned the papers over to him. 

"This little thing with Shane won't keep me from going after titles, will it?" 

"No. I want you to be his girlfriend, not his valet. Your job is just to support him and his job will be the same. Now," He opened the door for her, escorting her out of the office. "I suggest you do a little shopping before you come back." 

"What do you mean, shopping?" 

"You don't honestly think you can go out there with Shane and make it believable with Hardy Boyz t-shirts and those baggy pants, do you? I mean, at least to start out with, we want you to dress nicely, respectively. We can't expect you to put on a skirt when you wrestle, but when you're out of the ring, just look…" Vince sputtered for a word. "Nice." Lita looked at him in absolute disbelief. 

"You want me to wear a skirt?" Lita tossed her head back and laughed wildly. "You have got to be fucking out of your mind." 

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not. If people are going to believe you're dating a McMahon, you must dress like you're dating a McMahon." 

"Oh, so by your standards, looking like I date a McMahon means I have to whore myself out like the rest of your little tramps." Lita got in his face. "I'll wear what I want. If your baby boy doesn't like it, tell him he can find another damn girlfriend." With that, she spun on her heel and headed for anywhere but there. In one meeting, she had enough of Vince McMahon to last the rest of her lifetime. 

Lita found solace in Molly's dressing room, which was empty when she showed up. She switched on the monitor and found that Molly was on her way to the ring, ready and kicking for her title match against Victoria. Lita knew that she should watch, but she couldn't keep her mind off the situation with Shane. 

When she and Matt had dated on-screen, Vince had demanded affection, and lots of it. He couldn't expect her to kiss… Lita tried not to gag. Of course he'd expect it. You can't make a relationship believable with full-on hatred. It wasn't that Shane was unattractive, but he was just so damn cocky. And so completely his father's son. Did this mean she'd be a heel? She'd always been a face in Team Extreme. She was used to the crowds supporting her, cheering her on. Now, she'd have to go out there and see how much heat she could get? It wasn't in her nature to be mean to people. 

And what was all this shit about Shane wrestling? Christ, he hadn't taken bumps in years. Sure, he used to do Hardcore, but that was years ago. Besides, he wasn't getting any younger. It couldn't be easy for him to go through all that training and practice again. Still, she'd have to give him the benefit of a doubt. After all, he was her means to get Matt back for being such a dick. Any reason for Lita to whack Nidia one was good enough for her. 

Lita looked back to the screen just as Molly climbed the turnbuckle and executed her Molly-Go-Round, then covered Victoria for the pin-fall. She breathed a sigh of relief. Victoria was another little whiny brat, and she had only gotten the Women's Title by her lowdown dirty cheating. She couldn't think of anyone that deserved the title more than Molly. Lita ran down the hallway, greeted Molly as she came off the ramp, proudly displaying the title on her shoulder. She immediately pulled Lita into a hug. 

"I got it. I finally got it back!" Victoria came trudging beside her, hardly able to stand from the bumps that Molly had dished out. 

"Bitch," she spat. Lita wasn't gonna allow some slut to down her friend like that, even if it was out of raging jealousy. She approached her, and just like she had with Vince, she got in Victoria's face. 

"You're going to talk to the Women's Champion like that? At least she can get the belt without the help of one of her friends to cheat for her." Victoria glared at Lita, and it was only because she knew she was right. The only reason Victoria had won the Women's Championship in the first place was because she had enlisted the help of Christopher Nowinski, more commonly known as Chris Harvard, who had come out and put Molly in a DDT during another title match on _RAW_ two weeks before. 

Victoria started backing down the hallway, her hands held up defensively, a nasty grin spreading across her face. "I'm going, I'm going." She stopped as she watch Lita and Molly start to go off in the other direction. "Hey, Lita." She turned, her hair flipping around her face. "When you make your return, your ass is mine." And with that final remark, she turned on her heel and sauntered off down the hallway. 

It took all of Molly's strength and a reminder that the doctor hadn't released her yet to keep Lita from running down the hall after Victoria and smacking the bitch. "God, she's got some fucking nerve." 

Molly patted Lita's arm. "Calm down, girl. You don't have too much longer to wait before you get to go after her." She nodded, still raging with fury. Just how the hell did that little bitch think she could get off running around and saying things like that to people? The pair rounded the corner, stepped through the entrance to Molly's dressing room. She stepped behind a partition to undress and change into the clothes she had hung over the top. 

"So tell me about your meeting with Vince." Lita laughed as Molly's top came flying over the partition, soon followed by her pants and boots. 

"Well, you have good instincts about things." Molly peeked her head around the partition to look at her. 

"Good instincts about what?" 

Lita sighed. "When I return on May first, I will be officially Shane McMahon's girlfriend." Molly made a face and ducked behind the partition to dress. 

"Are you serious? I figured they would do some sick Dean Malenko-like obsession or something, not give you an excuse to make-out with him." 

"No one could be more appalled than me, you know. I mean, I am the one that's going to have to put up with his shit. The only positive thing out of this is that when Matt sees me coming down that ramp with a McMahon on my arm, he's going to go fucking insane." Molly emerged once again from behind the partition, fully dressed in a new outfit. She walked over to the mirror, started putting things in her tote bag. 

"So you're going to _Smackdown_, then?" Lita shook her head and stood up to help Molly pack away her clothes and boots. 

"No. The rumor about the roster split dissolving was true, too. But I'm going to be returning on a _Smackdown_ episode, though. Shane and I both. And you know what else pisses me off? Vince told me to go shopping. Like what I wear isn't good enough to wear as Shane's girlfriend. That man is such a dick." Molly fluffed her hair as she took a good look at herself in the mirror. 

"I don't get it. Doesn't Vince hate Shane? I mean, Shane did try to put him out of business. Or did he forget that, too?" Lita shrugged and gathered the rest of Molly's belongings, and started to walk out the door. 

"I fail to understand that man, Molly. He let Stephanie back in the WWE and she was shadier than Shane. He mentioned something about it being Linda's idea. She probably irritated him to the point that he didn't have any choice." She nodded, opened the door so that Lita could slip outside. 

As usual, there was a troop of people hanging around the gates, and Lita didn't stop as cameras started flashing in her direction. They quietly packed Molly's things in her car and hopped it, ready to leave the arena. Lita switched on the radio, watched the other cars that passed them. 

"So, why didn't you tell Vince you didn't want it? I mean, if the idea of being around Shane bothers you so much, you should have just told him to pair you with someone else." Lita slapped a hand on her leg. 

"That was the first thing I did, Molly. He basically told me that if I didn't like the idea with Shane, then there wasn't a place for me in the WWE. He bullied me into it, I know. But I didn't have any other choice." Molly shrugged. 

"Maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, at least you'll have it in with the boy billionaire. That can't be a terrible thing, right?" Lita just looked at her stupidly. 

"Shane is a pompous jackass. You know that. Everyone knows that. You're telling me I should enjoy having to make-out with him?" She shuddered. "I mean, I know this is my ticket to making Matt jealous, but I'm not sure I can make it believable. I'm not sure I can kiss him without looking like I want to puke." 

"Would you rather be kissing Vince? I mean, you still have yet to put this situation in perspective. You could have been an angle as one of Vince's little sluts, you could have been given an angle with the Big Show or… Rikishi," Molly said, holding back a gag. "But instead, you got Shane McMahon. Baby-faced Shane, who, pardon me for mentioning it, has one of the nicest asses in the WWE, and you are sitting here doing nothing but complaining about it. Molly removed her hand from the gearshift to place it on Lita's leg as a sign of support. "Let's just forget about all of this for now and just celebrate the fact that your return is on the horizon and when you do get back, you'll have the opportunity to beat the living hell out of Matt's new girlfriend." 

Lita smiled. That was what she would think of, whenever thoughts of Shane popped into her head. 

"That's a girl. Now I know I shouldn't have, but I mentioned to a few people that you were back in town, and they wanted to have a little get together." 

"No way," Lita replied. "Are we gonna go out or have a party and destroy a hotel room or what?" 

"Going out. Trish has got the bars in this town scouted. By the time this night's over, you're going to be saying, 'Matt who?' through a haze of tequila and drunken stupor." 

~~

There were multiple knocks on the door and Lita was sure that she heard the sounds of giggling. Trish and Molly stood on the other side, looking very much like schoolgirls. 

"Did you two start on the liquor without me?" she asked with a laugh. Instead of a reaction, she was yanked from the room and pulled off down the hallway. 

"We're going to this really great bar," Trish told her, bouncing in the front seat of the car. "Everyone is coming. Or, at least they should, because I told them to be there or I would kill them." Lita snorted. 

"What a way to get people to welcome me back. The only reason why anyone will come is because they fear death." Trish shook her head as she stared into a small compact mirror and re-applied her lipstick. 

"That's where you're wrong, Lita. They're coming because they want to get drunk and have fun. You're just a handy excuse to do it all." She giggled and Lita rolled her eyes. The trio stepped out into the dimly lit parking lot, shimmering in the light of a nearby street lamp. Lita had planned to go all out for a little night at a bar, but Trish and Molly had attacked her with glitter, leather, and a sequined tube top. She didn't really have a choice in the matter when they had forced her down on the bed and attacked her with brushes and make-up. She had only really liked gussying up for shows and photo shoots. It seemed to much like a waste of time to do it for anything else. 

Once they got inside, Trish immediately went off in search of Jeff, and Molly escorted Lita to the bar. She ordered a beer even though she hated it, but figured it at least give her an excuse to sit by herself and not be forced into dancing with anyone. The floor looked pretty crowded at the moment. It looked rather disgusting, actually with people and WWE superstars trying to see how close to sex they could get without letting on to anyone what they were doing. There was one particularly close couple in the corner, looking vaguely familiar to Lita, with the male making it blatantly obvious what his hands were doing underneath the girl's skirt. 

Molly tapped her shoulder. "You might want to keep your eyes off of those two," she suggested. Lita frowned. 

"Why? They're just dancing." Molly cleared her throat. 

"Um, Lita…" She looked like she was going to be sick. Either that, or she was about to tell her something that she wasn't sure that she wanted to hear. 

"What is it, Molly?" 

She sucked her teeth. "That's Matt and Nidia," she winced. Lita turned back to take another look and felt her face heat up. "Trish must have asked them to come. I told her it wasn't a good idea, but apparently, she did it anyway." 

Lita took her eyes off them. She had no desire to see this. She could watch them, remember what it was like to be in Matt's arms and feel insanely bad about herself, or she could drink. With that thought, she upturned her bottle of beer and chugged down everything in it, doing her best to ignore the taste. She called for the bartender. "I want something hard," she told him. "Shots. Something to get me drunk off my ass and make me forget this day ever happened." He didn't say a word. He just nodded, took her cash, poured her a shot of tequila, and left the bottle on the counter." 

"Lita," Molly said. "Are you sure getting totally trashed is a good way to forget your problems? I mean, we can just go. We don't have to stay. We can go back to the hotel, order a pay per view, send out for some pizza and just talk." Lita shook her head, which was already starting to feel light. 

"No. Because watching cheesy romantic comedies and gaining weight by eating lard-filled pizza will help me succeed at nothing but making me feel more like shit than I already do. Right now, I want to get so drunk that I can't see straight and I fall over from alcohol-poisoning and die." 

Molly rolled her eyes, took the bottle of tequila away from her after her second shot. "I refuse to let you do this to yourself. You are not going to get drunk and depressed over some insignificant guy. You're better than that, Lita." She just sighed, dropped her head onto the counter. After a while of silence, she heard Molly sigh, get up, and walk away. She drew her head up and snatched up the bottle of tequila. No way was she going to waste the booze that she had paid for. Lita abandoned the tiny shot glass, choosing to drink straight from the bottle. She swiveled on her stool, turning back to watch the crowd. Her vision had grown a little hazy, but she could distinctly make out a body walking towards her underneath the black lights. 

Jeff sat down beside her, and Lita could only tell for sure because of his newly-dyed baby blue hair. "What are you doing?" he wanted to know. 

"Getting drunk," she said matter-of-factly. 

"Yeah, yeah. I got that part. Why are you getting drunk?" 

"Because some dumb-ass invited Matt and his stupid hoe girlfriend," she spat out. Jeff raised an eyebrow. 

"And you choose to pretend they don't exist and nurse your wounds with liquor?" Lita nodded. 

"Basically. Look how easily you got that, Jeff. And people say you're not a smart boy." He hissed at her. 

"You're a damn mean drunk. Why don't you dance?" She glared at him. 

"I haven't found anyone good enough. I'm waiting for a person so perfect that when I do dance with him, Matt will be so hideously jealous that he'll come crawling back to me." 

"Molly told me that it seems you're about to get that." Lita rolled her eyes. 

"Yeah. That's really going to make Matt come back to me. Me dating a McMahon. What a crock of shit. He'll know it's all just an angle, Jeff. He's not a fucking moron." 

An evil grin crossed Jeff's face. "If you believe that, then you obviously haven't see what he's dating." Despite the fact that she still felt like shit, hearing a snide remark like that come from Jeff made her giggle. "There you go. I always could make you laugh, even at the worst of times." Lita nodded. 

"Yeah, you always could." 

"So," Jeff murmured, taking the bottle of tequila and settling it on the counter behind them. "What do you say you and I go cut a rug?" He looked down at the tiled dance floor. "Well, so to speak," he added with a grin. "Are you up to it or are you going to be too dizzy?" Lita shook her head. 

"I'll be fine. I'm not so sure about Trish, though." 

Jeff shrugged. "Trish isn't a jealous person. You know that. She'll just be thrilled out of her mind that you're doing something else besides seeing how many shots it takes before you fall over." With that, he took a hold of her hand, guided her out into the middle of the crowded dance floor, wrapped her arms around his neck and begun to dance. Lita was having a great old time. Well, despite the fact that she was having trouble standing up straight because of her current stage of inebriation, but still, it felt like the way things used to be. Jeff turned her around, started grinding his hips against hers, in some virtuous version of the dances going on all around them. It almost felt odd to be standing there, bumping and grinding with him, but she wasn't sure that she cared anymore. 

Suddenly, right when Lita was really getting into the dance, someone accidentally pushed her and she went flying right at the feet of a couple of people that had been dancing near the wall. Lita looked at the feet in horror. She knew those shoes. In fact, she remembered the exact occasion on which she had bought them. She'd picked them out for Matt for his twenty-seventh birthday. Lita pulled herself up and forced a smile at them. 

"Hello. It seems I've had too much to drink," she said, holding her head up. Nidia snorted and Lita balled her hands into fists, ready for a fight. Matt was looking at her through narrowed her eyes. 

"Lita, my girlfriend Nidia. Baby, you know all about Lita." He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Lita was furious. 

"Oh, don't worry about introductions, Matt. I know exactly who Nidia is. She's the little tramp that you dumped me on national television for." Matt was seething. 

"Don't talk to her like that. It's not my fault that you're just jealous of what she's got." Lita rolled her eyes. 

"Matt, she was ecstatic when she found out she'd be living in a trailer. I'm not jealous of her. Not at all." Lita stumbled as she tried her best to walk away like a lady, then heard Nidia make a comment. 

"I had no idea she was an alcoholic too, Matt. What the hell did you ever see in her?" Lita sucked up all her breath. She would not cry. Not in front of Matt and as sure as hell not in front of Nidia. She reached down, took off her heels, and ran as fast as she could out of that bar and, if she had anything to do with it, right out of Seattle. 

~~

**A/N:** Yes, I realize that there was absolutely no Shane-O-Mac in this one. But he's coming, I swear. Lita needs time to lament. Leave her alone. *laughs* 

**Next Chapter:** More lamenting, probably. I haven't really planned it out. I might just skip to the date of Lita's return. 


	3. Walk Away

**Chapter 3 - Walk Away**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these people. I just write about them. Don't sue, because the only thing you're likely to get is my Sketchers from the eighth grade. The ones with the whole in the left shoe. 

**A/N:** Stephanie is my goddess. No, not McMahon. Stephanie equals Purplechesirecat. She's one of my favorite authors and she's writing one of my favorite fics, _The Proposition_. Go to my profile and go read… NOW. *glares* 

~~ 

_Walk Away_, Ben Harper 

_ Oh no   
Here comes that sun again   
That means another day   
Without you my friend _

And it hurts me   
To look into the mirror at myself   
And it hurts even more   
To have to be with somebody else   
And it's so hard to do   
And so easy to say   
But sometimes   
Sometimes you just have to walk away   
Walk away 

With so many people   
To love in my life   
Why do I worry   
About one 

But you put the happy   
In my ness   
You put the good times   
Into my fun   
And it's so hard to do   
And so easy to say   
But sometimes   
Sometimes you just have to walk away   
Walk away   
And head for the door 

We've tried the goodbye   
So many days   
We walk in the same direction   
So that we could never stray   
They say if you love somebody   
Than you have got to set them free   
But I would rather be locked to you   
Than live in this pain and misery 

They say time will   
Make all this go away   
But it's time that has taken my tomorrows   
And turned them into yesterdays   
And once again that rising sun   
Is droppin' on down   
And once again you my friend   
Are nowhere to be found   
And it's so hard to do   
And so easy to say   
But sometimes   
Sometimes you just have to walk away   
Walk away   
And head for the door   
You just walk away   
Walk away 

~~ 

TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2003 

She hadn't remembered before, but every reason why Lita didn't drink was coming back to her as she keeled over the toilet in her hotel bathroom. She fell back onto the cold linoleum floor after she was sure she had thrown up all the alcohol, not to mention her dinner and lunch. Drinking to get rid of pain, she scoffed. How fucking stupid had that idea been? She laid there on the floor, trying to determine how long it would be before she'd be able to move again. Lita recalled something from a movie, _Bridget Jones Diary_, and as an afterthought, decided at the rate she was going, she was pretty high risk to be eventually eaten by wild dogs. Despite her situation, the idea made her smile. 

Rolling over onto her stomach, Lita tried to crawl out of the bathroom, with every intention of climbing under the covers of her bed and not ever coming out from underneath them. Through her blurred vision, she could make out a pair of feet and two legs coming in her general direction. Then she was being lifted, tossed over someone's shoulder, then placed sitting straight up on the bed. Jeff's voice came from somewhere around her, but she had closed her eyes and fallen back on the turned-up comforter, so the voice was disembodied, and could have been from anywhere. 

"Fucking dumb as hell," he muttered, taking off her shoes. "What the hell is wrong with you?" 

"Nothing," she slurred. "Not a thing. Go away." 

Jeff glared at her, knowing just how much she was going to hate herself in the morning. "I'm not going anywhere." He sat her up again, stacked pillows behind her so that she wouldn't fall over. "First of all, I want to know how the fuck you got back to the hotel. Secondly, I want to know what happened to make you do something this stupid." 

"Christian drove me. Just Christian." 

He waited on her to continue, watched her break down into a fit of tears. "Matt… Nidia. She called me an alcoholic." Jeff rolled his eyes. Matt had a great tendency to be a lousy jackass lately. He grabbed Lita's shoulders and knelt down so that he could look her in the eye. He knew she hated that. She had told him once that it felt like she couldn't escape. And that was the exact feeling that he was going for. 

"Do you honestly think that this proves Nidia wrong? God, Lita… you're so much smarter than this." Her big sobs had started to turn into little whimpers. Even though he was telling her things that she absolutely had to hear, he felt very much like he'd kicked a dog and he knew that right now, she just needed comfort. He sat down beside her, put a supportive arm around her shoulders. "I know how bad it must have hurt to have Matt do that to you, but you have got to move on. I mean, Jesus. You are tearing yourself apart over something that shouldn't matter. This happened almost a year ago and you are still not over it. Lita, you and I both know that isn't healthy. I mean, look what this has done to you already." 

Lita buried her face into his chest, her tears dampening the soft, black cotton of his shirt. He moved her head so that it was positioned in his lap and so that he could look down at her and see her face and expressions. She looked at the wall. 

"It wouldn't have been so difficult, you know." Her hands fumbled, but she continued. "But when I lost Matt, it was like I lost you too. You stopped coming to see me, the phone calls were few and far between, and when I _did_ see you, it was like you had replaced me with Trish." 

"I didn't ever want you to feel that way," he said, stroking back her hair. "That was never my intention." She shrugged. 

"Even if it wasn't your intention, Matt left me and it felt like you were leaving me too, like I suddenly wasn't important to either of you anymore. I lost someone who I thought was the love of my life and then I lost my best friend." Lita looked up into his eyes. "You don't have any idea how lonely I felt. I was all by myself. Everything around me had gone to absolute shit." Jeff's expression was grave. He knew he was to blame for her feeling the way she did. She was absolutely right. He had cut her off. He had stopped calling. 

"I just thought it would be easier," he sputtered out. "I mean I guess I was thinking out of sight, out of mind. I thought with me around it'd be harder on you to deal with what Matt had done." 

"And Trish?" 

Jeff sighed. "I was lonely too, Lita. I mean, you were like my sister. You were my best friend in the world, you know. When I stopped calling, I felt like I was helping you. I can see now it didn't. I got so damn tired of being lonely and one day Trish asked me to go out somewhere. I realized that I had been living in a hole. I had been mourning over something that I had absolutely zero control of and I thought that it was time to make a change." He swallowed, ignoring the lump in the back of his throat. "You need to put this all behind you. It's over and done and there's nothing you can do to change any of it. You can't change the way Matt feels for Nidia now, and if you go back and bring it all up again, you're not going to do anything but hurt yourself. You deserve more than that." 

Lita rolled off the bed, standing weakly on her own two feet. "I will _not_ leave this alone, Jeff. Matt hurt me with no explanation as to why. I had to find out that he broke up with me on national television, for Christ's sakes. And Nidia…" She breathed in deeply, cracked her knuckles. "I am going to take her out." He shook his head. 

"That's not a way to live. You can't live just looking for vengeance." 

"Fuck living!" Lita screamed, grabbing a crystal decanter off the mini-bar and sending it flying into a wall where it shattered to thousands of tiny, glittering shards. "He hurt me," she hissed. And the tears began to roll again. She collapsed onto the carpet, burying her face in her hands, and rocking her body on her hips. Jeff dropped down beside her and gathered her into his arms. 

"Shhh…" he whispered into her hair. "It's eating you alive, isn't it?" He affectionately kissed the top of her head. "We'll get through this, okay? Just calm down…" As the tears began to subside, Lita looked into his eyes. 

"Promise me you won't let anything else like this ever come between our friendship." It wasn't a question. It was a demand. Jeff sucked up his breath. He knew that he owed at least that much to her. 

"I promise. Nothing is ever gonna come between us again, okay? You're my sister, you matter to me." Lita smiled weakly. 

"It's good to know I mean something to someone. I feel like when I left, it was like I disappeared. Like I wasn't ever there. I mean, do I really matter so little to Matt that he'd just go off and start sleeping with some tramp? I still have no idea what I did to him to make him do such a thing. When I first had my surgery, he was telling me about how I'd get better and how we'd be able to grow old together. Then suddenly all this Version One bullshit came up and he started thinking he was some kind of wrestling Jesus. And that's when he left me…" She turned her face to Jeff. "What happened with us, Jeff? Why did Matt leave me?" 

His face was solemn. "Lita, you know I can't give you an answer to that. If I had known, I would have done everything in my power to fix it. Matt thinks differently than both of us. He was mad because he wasn't getting the recognition he deserved. Christ, he still could have been bitter about Vengeance or something else equally as stupid. The best you can do is just ignore him. You'll get your revenge, I promise." 

Lita shrugged doubtfully. "I guess." 

"Just think about the look on his face when he finds out that you're dating a McMahon." Her smile came slowly, but it was there, nonetheless. "I know that Matt is going to seethe," he said matter-of-factly. "And all you have to do is be ready to laugh in his face when he comes crawling back to you." 

~~ 

Lita emerged from her hotel room several hours later, showered, dressed, and still feeling the nasty effects of her hangover. If she had only listened to reason in the first place, she wouldn't have puked half of her guts out down the toilet and her head sure as hell wouldn't feel like Triple H was taking a sledgehammer to it. She was supposed to meet Jeff and Trish at the room they shared, then they'd all drive out to Portland, Oregon for the night's house show. She dropped her bags as she reached the room, knocked on the door, and prayed she wouldn't interrupt any sex between the two of them. 

The door opened with a bouncing, perky Trish on the other side. Ugh. Lita didn't know if she'd be able to handle it. Trish let out a small squeal that made her wince and pulled her into a hug. 

"Oh, Lita, I am so glad that you're coming out with us today. And I want you to know how truly sorry I am about the whole Matt thing last night. I didn't intend to tell him, he just overheard and-" Lita held up her hands, pausing Trish's incessant babbling. 

"It's fine, Trish, _really_." It wasn't any help that Lita had a headache, and Trish was just making it worse. She didn't really care anymore that Trish was the one to blame for Matt's appearance the night before, but that didn't mean that she still wanted to talk to her. She took the initiative and stepped into the room, motioning to Jeff. "Come on, Jeff. We gotta head out," she said, grabbing up her bags. Lita waited for him and Trish to gather their things, and tapped her foot impatiently as they slowly made their way out the door. 

They met up with Molly in the hotel lobby who, Lita asserted to Jeff, had to come along to protect her from Trish's talking. They three women turned into the keys to their rooms while Jeff swooped out to the parking lot to pull the rented Navigator up to the front of the hotel. They piled themselves side by side on a padded bench near the door, Lita incredibly anxious to get out of the hotel. 

"Why are you so impatient?" Trish wanted to know. Lita rolled her eyes. Was Trish really that stupid? Molly knew, she was sure, and she never had to tell her a thing. 

"She wants to get out of hear before Matt shows up," Molly told her. Trish looked at her stupidly and pointed to the counter. 

"But Matt's already here." Lita's head snapped up. There at the counter with their bags in tow, was Matt and Nidia. Nidia caught her eye and with a nasty smirk, pulled Matt into a torrid lip-lock. She swallowed, trying desperately to hold on to any bit of humility that she had left. There was a tap on her shoulder, but she chose to wave it off, not taking her eyes off the intertwined couple in front of her. 

"Lita." It was a new voice. Masculine, deep, sexy. Lita looked up to meet the eyes of… 

_Shane_? 

"Hey, I've been looking for you. My dad says that you've accepted this new angle that he's proposed." 

She nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say to him. Shane had undoubtedly changed. His chest was fuller, he seemed a lot more muscular than before. 

"I'm really anticipating working with you, Lita. I've always admired what you've done as a wrestler. Oh, by the way, I'm sorry to hear about what happened with Matt. That was fucking awful what he did to you." 

Lita saw Matt and Nidia walking over, and she jumped to her feet, seized his collar and pulled his ear to her lips. 

"You really want to be sorry, you'll be my boyfriend out of the ring, too," she hissed. "Help me, please." 

Shane looked at her with a question in his eye. 

"You'll see what I mean," she whispered, gripping tightly to his hand, praying that he wouldn't break the charade. 

"Shane-O, good to see you again," Matt laughed, pulling him into a hug. "How have you been doing?" Lita glared at Nidia, who was making a big scene out of putting her hands all over Matt's ass. 

"Doing well, Matt, to say the least. Prepping for my return." 

"Ah, that's great. We've all missed having you around." Matt cast a sideward glance at Lita. "Not keeping in such good company nowadays, huh?" He smirked wildly, watched her as if he was waiting for her to fall apart. Instead of meeting his eyes, she looked directly at Shane, who was expressionless, then nudged his foot. 

Shane gave a tight smile. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak that way about my girlfriend, Hardy." Lita swallowed, looked at Matt with a raised eyebrow as if she was silently daring him to say something. 

"Girlfriend?" Matt sputtered incredulously. "_You_ are dating _her_?" 

Shane's arm winded around her waist and his smile looked regal. "Absolutely. What an idiot you are, Matt, to have broken up with such a beautiful woman." He pressed a kiss to Lita's temple. "Your loss is most certainly my gain." 

Matt's eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on Nidia. "Come on, we're going," he muttered, pulling her in the direction of the door. 

"But, Matt…" 

And the two disappeared before they could hear anymore. Lita breathed a sigh of relief and threw her arms around Shane in a celebratory embrace. "Thanks so much." 

He smiled warmly. "It was nothing. You shouldn't be treated like that. No one should," he remarked. "Why on earth did you stay with him for so long?" 

Lita shrugged. "He never used to be that way. Believe it or not, the jackass tendencies are something I normally didn't experience." She went to Jeff as he came through the door. "You will _never_ guess what just happened. 

"Oh, I would. Matt just caught me in the parking lot and had a few interesting and colorful things to say." Jeff smiled. "Congratulations. You're getting you're revenge without even trying." He turned to Shane and held out his hand for a firm handshake. "Thanks a lot, Shane. It's about time Matt gets knocked off of that high horse of his." 

"It's my pleasure." Shane cleared his throat. "Well, I can see that you all are about to head out, so…" 

"Aren't you going to Portland for the house show?" Molly interrupted. 

"Well, yeah-" 

"Well, we don't really have room in the car for three people and all our stuff. Maybe you'd like to drive Lita down. That way, you two can get a chance to know each other better for your angle and everything." 

"Yeah," Trish added. She may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but she knew a hook-up when she saw one. 

Lita frowned. "We have enough room. You guys tell me you rented a Navigator." Jeff shook his head. 

"No. We rented a Miata," he said vaguely. "Not enough room for Trish, even. We might have to tie her to the roof." 

"Hey!" Trish slapped at him. 

"Just go with Shane," Jeff said with encouragement. "It'll be good for you." Lita nodded, still not sure of what the three of them were trying to accomplish. 

Shane shrugged and helped her to his car with her bags. "I'm afraid I'm probably not going to be as entertaining as Jeff and company. You sure you don't want to rent an extra car or something?" Lita shook her head as she crammed her suitcase in the truck of his car with all of her other bags. 

"It's fine, really. It could be a lot worse. And at least this way, we're using less gas." Shane nodded and opened the door for her. The gesture shouldn't have surprised her so much. He was wealthy and had good breeding and manners. It was just the fact that she wasn't acclimated to politeness. Matt had been sweet, but never to the extent of Shane McMahon. Perhaps he was just pompous, trying deftly to flaunt his outstanding charisma, but even so, Lita appreciated being in the company of a gentleman for once. 

Once in the car, Shane opened the glove compartment and handed her a bottle of Aspirin. "You look like hell," he murmured, starting up the engine. "Feeling the after-effects of last night, I assume?" 

"Yeah," Lita responded, not really paying any attention. She had just spotted a certain blue-haired person hop into the driver's seat of a Navigator. "Miata my ass," she growled. Shane turned to see what her reference was too and started laughing. 

"Well, you have to give them credit. Not everyone has the talent to be that manipulative." 

"I'll give them credit when I'm not plotting various ways to kill them." Shane touched her knee and smiled brilliantly. 

"I'm not _that_ bad, am I?" 

"No," she said with a smile. "I guess you're not." Lita broke the connection with his eyes to stare look out the window. "I mean, anyone that would help me with Matt the way you did today is cool in my book. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me, Shane." 

"Interesting." 

Lita cocked her head. "What's interesting?" 

"My father told me that you just as soon die than work with me. He also told me the only reason why you agreed was because he threatened to put you out of a job." Lita winced. 

"I don't really think it had much to do with you. I think it was more about your dad bossing me around. Authority figures and I tend not to get along." Shane smirked. 

"I had to ascertain that when Dad told me that you called him a dick. I don't think it was incredibly intelligent to swear at your boss, but he found it hilarious, and at the same time was incredibly impressed with you." 

"Impressed?" Lita swirled the word around in her head. What was so impressive about it? She had only spoken her opinion. 

"Yes, impressed. It shows your lack of inhibitions, your fearlessness. Those are very impressive qualities in a person. Especially in this industry. Especially a female." Lita glared. 

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

Shane shrugged. "It wasn't meant to be a sexist remark, if that's what you're thinking. You know that women wrestlers exist, but there simply aren't that many that have your abilities and your persistence." She was still frowning when he glanced over at her. "Come on, Lita. Take a compliment." 

"I will when I hear one." Sighing, Shane turned on the radio. Lita promptly turned it off. 

"Headache," she explained in a word. He watched her as she shut her eyes, leaned her head back on the rest and started rubbing her temples, obviously hoping that the massage would ease the pain in her head. They didn't speak for the next ten minutes. 

"I didn't know you drank," Shane said finally. 

"I don't." 

"Then how do you explain what happened last night?" Lita opened one eye to look at him. 

"At the time, I believe I was praying that it would make me fall over dead." 

"Because of Matt?" Lita rolled her eyes and sighed. 

"Ya think?" 

"Hey, now. There is no need to get sarcastic. All I'm doing is trying to be sensitive to your situation." She sighed again. 

"Well, I appreciate it Shane, but if I wanted anyone to be sensitive to my situation, I'd get therapy. I really don't need or want anyone's opinions on Matt and I because there is no Matt and I, and I just want to forget that he ever existed." With that, she took her jacket and placed it over her head. 

Like putting clothes over her head was really going to make Shane realize the finality of the conversation. He just tugged the coat off and tossed it behind him into the back seat. "That can't be healthy you know. Pretending that reality never happened, I mean." 

"Can we not talk, please?" 

He shook his head. "Now, if can't talk, how are we supposed to date? Come on," he nudged her with a grin on his face. "Tell me something about yourself." 

"I think Shane McMahon talks too much," she said snidely. 

"Something else, please. I already know that." Lita just glared. "Okay, fine then. Something about me. I'm an Aquarius and my middle name is Brandon." He motioned to her. "Now you go." 

"You are a blithering maniac," she muttered. 

"See, now we're starting to get along," he said cheerily. "When's your birthday?" 

"I am not playing your game, Shane." Lita rolled over and pillowed her head in her hands. "Just wake me up when we get there?" 

"All right." He figured that it was probably better to leave her alone for the moment. Shane attributed all her bitterness and rude comments to the fact that she had the hangover from hell, and probably wasn't in the mood for talking to anyone. He supposed that was the entire reason she came along in the first place was because she needed rescuing from Trish, who was notorious for her never ending chatter. He smiled as he thought of all the ways Jeff must think of to shut her up. He looked back down at Lita, who was putting all her concentration in taking a nap. 

She'd talk when she woke up. 

~~ 

**A/N:** See, I told you Shane was coming. Isn't that sweet? He rescued her. *grins* Oh, by the way, *squeals like a fan girl* Twstofate reviewed my fic! Okay, I realize that I can probably call her Hayden now, but she's like a freaking goddess to me. 

**Next Chapter:** Shane is going continue to get under Lita's skin. Wonder if she'll crack. 


End file.
